Dental crowns are restoration products used to cover teeth that have been damaged. If a tooth is cracked, fractured or broken, it is covered with a dental crown. Zirconium dental crowns are popular these days as they are the strongest form of restoration material available in the market today. Zirconium crowns often last for decades with routine dental checkups and proper dental habits.
About Zirconium Crowns
Zirconium has a white ceramic glaze and is one of the newest materials used for creating dental crowns. It combines the strength of metal crowns with the aesthetics of porcelain crowns. They resemble the natural color of teeth and are extremely durable. They are easy to shape in the dentist’s office itself, due to which it requires less time and preparation. They can be easily cemented or bonded, giving dentists more control over the application.
Who qualifies for Zirconium Crowns?
Any patient who requires a dental crown can benefit from zirconium crowns. This crown not only improves your smile but also augments the functioning of your teeth. Zirconium crowns help cover bad discoloration, severe decay, and chips on natural teeth. Dental crowns are available in a number of materials such as resin, porcelain, metals, and ceramics. However, Zirconium crowns have gained immense popularity due to the many advantages it offers.
To know more, you can consult your dental doctor or visit a dental clinic in Hyderabad. Request an appointment at Apollo Dental, Hyderabad. Call 18001020288 to book an appointment.
Why are Zirconium Crowns used?
Our teeth tend to wear and break down due to a number of reasons. Natural aging, injuries, and tooth decay are some of the leading causes of tooth damage. Cross bite, grinding the teeth, and chewing hard substances may also cause your teeth to get reduced in size or lose their shape. In such cases, Zirconium crowns are used to prevent further damage and improve the look of the affected tooth.
Some of the most common reasons for using Zirconium crowns include:
- Improving your smile
- Preventing fractures of weaker tooth
- Restoring worn-down or broken tooth
- Keeping the tooth together if it is in a bad shape
- Improving your bite
- Capping discolored or misshapen teeth
- Covering large fillings, root canals, and dental implants
How is the procedure of placing Zirconium Crowns performed?
Dental crowns are applied in the dentist’s office through a simple process that takes under an hour. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia, and does not require much sedation. Local anesthetic is used to numb the affected area. The dentist begins by taking an impression of the surrounding teeth and abutment. The Zirconium crown is then prepared accordingly and placed onto the tooth. It is fixed with special dental cement and shaped to fit perfectly.
What are the types of Zirconium Crowns?
In a dentists’ office, you will find three different kinds of Zirconium crowns:
- Full contour Zirconium
- Porcelain fused to Zirconium
- Full contour all-translucent Zirconium
Full Contour Zirconium
Full-contour Zirconium has amazing strength and is most suited for people with bruxism, or a heavy bite.
Full Contour All-translucent Zirconium
This kind of zirconium crown is more suitable for teeth that need to be aesthetically pleasing yet do not undergo excess grinding and biting.
Porcelain Fused to Zirconium
Porcelain fused to Zirconium, also known as PFZ, involves the creation of a full-contour Zirconium crown. A small window is cut in the crown’s face to avoid compromising its strength. An overlay of porcelain is then layered on top and baked on. PFZ is an amazing combination and provides exceptional aesthetics and wear-resistance.
What are the benefits?
Zirconium crowns have gained immense popularity in recent times due to the various benefits it offers.
- Strength: Zirconium is known for its durability and strength. The back teeth require crowns made with strong material as we exert a lot of force on them to chew.
- Longevity: Studies have shown that Zirconium crowns fared much better over a span of 5 years in comparison to metal crowns.
- Biocompatibility: Zirconium is less likely to cause any kind of immunological response or reaction in the body.
- Same-day procedure: Zirconium crowns can be placed in the mouth during a single visit as they are mostly made in the dentist’s office itself.
What are the risks?
By itself, Zirconium does not match natural teeth. It has to be blended with other materials to make it look more natural. A recent survey also showed that Zirconium crowns tend to have debonding problems.
